Holidays, Happy Days, and Other Big Events
by Kerry Blue
Summary: A follow-up to "Sue's Story Continues." A series of one-shots depicting major events from Sue's life.
1. Chapter 1: New Year's Eve 2018

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** This is a continuation of my previous story, "Sue's Story Continues." You don't have to have read that first, but there will be references to it throughout this new series. While the chapters in "Sue's Story Continues" ran in chronological order, the chapters in this story will not. They will depict various holidays and special events. Let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions. This chapter originated from a suggestion.

One day in early December, Sue and Sean met for coffee between classes. After commiserating about papers, exams, and the cold, Sue changed the subject.

"My mom wants to have a New Year's Eve party at our house again."

Sean's expression froze. "Oh." He pasted on a bright smile and said in an upbeat tone, "Okay!"

The smile and tone didn't fool Sue, but they did confuse her. "What is it? You don't want to go?"

"Well," he grimaced, "the party last year was not a good night for us."

"That's true." Sue squeezed his hand. "But this party will be completely different! We're together now! And it will only be family and friends this time – no surprises!" Sean made a face, causing Sue to giggle. "C'mon! It'll be fun! And it seemed **really** important to my mom that we be there." She leaned towards him. "Just between you and me, I think she's jealous. Lexie and her parents are going to Colorado to celebrate with Axl, and you and I are spending a lot of the holidays with your family. I mean, we did just have Thanksgiving dinner at your house."

"With both our families!" Sean gave her a knowing look. "And Sue, we all know your parents orchestrated that, because they wanted my mom to cook!" Sue laughed, nodding her head. He pointed out, "We are having a Christmas Eve party at your house again."

She playfully repeated his words: "With both our families!" He smiled. Sue continued, more seriously, "But we're having lunch on Christmas Day at your grandmother's house, and then we're going on the annual Donahue winter service project/vacation. I'll be with your family for almost a week!"

"I get it, it's just…" he shrugged.

Since he was wavering, Sue used her final piece of leverage. "My mom's already talked to your mom about it. Shelly texted me earlier. She's super excited, because your parents said she could go. This will be her first 'grown-up' New Year's Eve party!"

Sean shook his head. "I can't believe you're using my baby sister against me!"

"If you weren't such an amazing big brother, it wouldn't work!"

Sean laughed. "Fine! We'll go. But," he said emphatically, "I don't want to see any of your exes there!"

"Oh, well…I'm pretty sure Brad will be there."

"I'm okay with that."

"Yay!" She clapped her hands, then kissed him.

On New Year's Eve, the party at the Hecks' house was in full swing. Sue had been right: there were no surprise drop-ins (at least, not of the ex-boyfriend variety). However, just like at the party the previous year, every time Sue and Sean tried to talk, someone came along to pull one of them away. If it wasn't a neighbor seeking medical advice from Sean, it was a childhood friend wanting to reminisce. Throughout the night, they'd spent more time smiling at each other from across the room than they'd spent together.

After yet another interrupted conversation, Sue joined Nancy and Frankie in the kitchen. "Ugh! This is so frustrating! It's as if people think that just because Sean and I have been dating for a while, and we just got back from being on a trip together, that we've run out of things to say to each other!"

Nancy and Frankie glanced at each other and tried not to smile. "It really is sweet how much you two enjoy each other's company. It reminds me of Ron and me when we first started dating," Nancy said.

"Your dad and I were never like that, but it really is very sweet that you and Sean are," Frankie added.

"Well, of course…" Sue paused. She'd just caught a glimpse of Cindy talking to Sean, who looked confused. "I'd better go see what that's about!" She dashed off.

"They really are adorable together." Frankie shook her head. "Mike thinks we should warn Sue that this honeymoon phase isn't going to last."

"Ron already tried to warn Sean. But I think we should let them enjoy it for as long as it does. And who knows? With their personalities, maybe it always will!" Nancy and Frankie both crossed their fingers.

Sue arrived at Sean's side just as Cindy was walking away. "I just had the strangest conversation," Sean said, still looking befuddled. "Cindy just warned me not to interfere with her relationship with Brick. Why does she think I want to interfere in their relationship?"

"Oh, yeah, I was going to warn you…if we'd been able to have an actual conversation tonight!" Seeing another neighbor headed their way, Sue grabbed Sean's hand and led him into the hallway. "Brick and Cindy had a fight this afternoon. She asked him to do something with her this Saturday, but he told her he couldn't because he already has plans, with his best friend." Sue shook her head. "I'm not sure what made her madder: that he can't go out with her, or that he has a best friend other than her!"

"Wait," Sean responded. "This coming Saturday? Brick asked me to watch a movie with him then. I knew you'd be working, so I said 'Yes.'" Realization dawned. "Oh! Brick thinks of me as his best friend?" Sue nodded. "Wow! That's really nice! A little odd, since he's still in high school and all, but really nice!"

Sue wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. "Of course he thinks you're his best friend! You're the world's most amazing big brother – even to my little brother!" Sean leaned down to kiss her, but they were interrupted by a neighbor calling for Sue. "Sorry!" she mouthed, before returning to the living room.

As midnight approached, Sean grew increasingly more frustrated by the crowd of people who kept separating him from Sue. Finally, he walked over to where she stood, among a cluster of women who were asking about discounts for the inn. He whispered in her ear, "Meet me in your room in 5 minutes." When she nodded that she'd understood him, he slipped away.

A few minutes later, Sue excused herself and headed for her room. Sean appeared in the doorway. He grabbed her hand, tugged her into the room, and then locked the door behind them. "Sean! What are you doing?" Sue laughed.

"I am insuring that this year, no one gets a New Year's Eve kiss from you except me!" He pulled her close and bent his head to kiss her.

"Hey, guys! What are you doing?" Brick appeared through the hole in the wall. "Are you trying to get away from all the guests? It's crazy, isn't it? You can't have a single moment without someone interrupting you!"

Sean winced and shook his head. Sue thought fast. "Hey, Brick! Have you been in the living room lately? We ran out of coasters, so I saw people sitting their drinks on top of books!"

"What?!" Brick was outraged. "I'll take care of that!" He disappeared through the hole.

Sean sprang into action. He moved a chair in front of the hole, then started snatching up anything he could find – pillows, clothes, stuffed animals, etc. – and used them to help cover it. Sue helped at first by tossing him things to use, but quickly collapsed onto her bed in a fit of giggles. When Sean finished covering the hole, he sat on the bed and reached for Sue. She sat on his lap, with her arms draped around his neck.

"Are you laughing at me?!" he asked, holding her close.

"Yes!" She grinned. "Your…security measures…are very much appreciated, but I have to warn you: if my dad wants to check on us, a locked door or that," she nodded towards the hole, "won't stop him!"

"That's okay. It'll be worth it!" He kissed her briefly, then pulled back. "I am putting in a request now, though. Next year, I want us to celebrate New Year's together in private. Just the two of us."

Sue gave him a coy look. "So, when you say 'next year,' do you mean this time next year? Or a few hours from now – perhaps at my apartment?"

Sean's gaze warmed as he stroked her back. "Both of those."

"I accept. Both of those."

When the clock struck midnight, they were too preoccupied to notice.


	2. Chapter 2: Homecoming 2018

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** There are references in this chapter to things that happened in my previous story, "Sue's Story Continues." You don't have to read that story first, but it may help. This chapter was also inspired in part by a scene in _The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet_ , the novelization of one of my other favorite shows. If you haven't watched _The Lizzie Bennet Diaries,_ head on over to YouTube and check it out.

They were a few weeks into the fall semester. Sue and Sean saw each other as often as their hectic schedules would allow. Most of their dates consisted of meeting for coffee or lunch between classes, or ordering takeout and studying together at one of their apartments. When Lexie went home to visit her parents one weekend, Sue and Sean celebrated having her apartment to themselves…by ordering takeout and studying together.

They'd been working on their laptops for a couple hours when Sean checked his email. "Ugh!" he groaned. "I can't believe I forgot!"

"What is it?" Sue asked.

"Homecoming weekend at Orson High. It's next month." Sue didn't need the reminder. She loved homecoming and had already requested time off from work so she could go to the game. Before she could volunteer that information, Sean continued. "This was the 5-year anniversary of our graduation, so some of my classmates have organized activities for that weekend. I got their emails while I was in Ghana, but," he shrugged, "I was a little busy, and I forgot to respond."

"That's funny. You never forgot to answer my emails!"

"I have my priorities!" He smiled before returning his attention to the computer. "I'm forwarding this to you." When the notification popped up on her screen, Sue opened the email. Then Sean distracted her by taking her hand in his. "Ms. Q, will you do me the honor of attending homecoming weekend with me?"

"Hmm. Let me think about it," she teased.

"Go ahead," he grinned. "Check out the itinerary. Do you think you'll be able to take time off that weekend?"

"Well, actually, I already…" She'd been skimming the email; she came to a stop when she reached the list of confirmed attendees. There it was: Darrin McGrew.

"Suzy Q?"

"Actually, I…" she paused, trying to decide what to say. Finally, "I think Axl mentioned something about this. He said he can't come, because he's having to save all his vacation time for the holidays. I'll, um, I'll ask Brooke if I can take time off." She flashed him an overly bright smile before re-focusing on her computer.

"Sue?" Sean asked, concerned. He could tell something was wrong, but he had no clue what it might be.

She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll let you know something as soon as I can. But I really need to finish this essay tonight. I want us to have time to actually go out to eat tomorrow!"

"Right," Sean agreed. He looked at Sue a moment longer before returning to his studies.

Sue hadn't been able to sleep. By 3 a.m., she was sitting on the sofa in the living room, staring at the email on her screen. Darrin McGrew. She hadn't spoken to him since the day she'd ended their engagement. Neither Axl nor Sean had mentioned Darrin to her in the years since, so she had no idea if either of them still spoke to him. And while she assumed that Darrin knew she and Sean were dating (after all, Orson was a small town and gossip traveled fast), she wasn't sure she was ready to face him.

"Suzy Q? What are you doing up?" Sean's voice came from directly behind her. Startled, Sue slammed the laptop screen closed, smashing a few of her fingers in the process.

"Ouch!" she cried, trying to shake the sting out of her hand. Sean walked around and sat beside her. He set the laptop aside, then gently took her hand and kissed it.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you. I couldn't sleep, so…"

"So you came in here to check emails," he finished. "You were looking at the one I sent you?" She nodded, biting her lip. "Sue, you've always loved homecoming, ever since we were kids. But you don't seem excited about this one. Is everything okay? Are you upset I didn't mention it sooner? Because I really did forget about it."

"Oh, no! It's not that. It's just…" She knew she needed to bring up Darrin, but she wasn't sure how. So she tried the roundabout approach. "Sean, you and I had very different experiences in high school. You were always so smart, and so good at everything you tried, and so popular, and everybody loved you! And I..." His concerned expression flustered her even more. "It's just…the game is one thing. I mean, 'Yay! Homecoming game!' But this is a class reunion for you. And the only people in your class who knew me, they knew me as Axl's little sister, and as…" She paused, shoring up her nerve. "And as Darrin's girlfriend. He's going to be there. What is he going to think when we show up together? What is everyone going to think?"

Sean was annoyed with himself; he should have foreseen that Sue would be anxious about running into Darrin, and addressed it sooner. He smiled reassuringly as he laced his fingers through hers. "Sue, I can tell you what everyone there is going to think. They're going to think that I'm crazy in love with you. Because I am. And they're going to think that I want you with me always. Because I do. You know that, right?" She nodded. "As for Darrin: he knows. He's known all along."

"Really?"

"Really. I went to see him, after I realized I was in love with you. I told him that I'd decided to go to St. Matthew's to be near you, and that I intended to pursue you."

"What did he say?"

"Truthfully, he didn't seem all that surprised." Sean smiled at Sue's shocked expression. "We, um, we had a…disagreement, after you two broke up. I didn't like that he'd proposed to you, and he didn't like that I asked you to your prom a few weeks later. He accused me of breaking the 'bro code.'" Sean shook his head. "Even though, at the time, I'd asked you as a friend…I think he and I both realized that I cared more about you than I did about him. We patched things up a few weeks later, but our friendship was never the same. And we don't have much in common anymore. Besides, you know, the obvious." He made a face. "In any case, I felt I owed it to him to be honest about my feelings for you. 'Bro code' and all." Sue smiled. "I, uh, I should have told you that sooner, but," he shrugged, "talking about him and about your relationship with him is awkward for me, too, you know?"

Sue nodded, then asked, "So was he…okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. He's married now, and he seems really happy. He said he wanted you to be happy, too. He warned me to treat you well." Sean saw Sue sag with relief, and that relieved him. In a more upbeat tone, he continued, "He also told me I should take you to California. I wasn't sure what he meant by that!"

"Oh!" Sue explained, "I'd told him there were a lot of things I wanted to do before I got married. Like going to college and going to California."

"Ah! Well then," Sean put his arm around Sue's shoulders and pulled her close, "we'll have to make that trip happen!"

"Really?!" Sue's face lit up. "You want to go on a trip together?"

"Are you kidding? You and me, going somewhere fun, doing fun things together, with no family, friends, or neighbors watching our every move…it sounds amazing! California may have to wait for a while, until I'm no longer a broke med school student. But we should definitely plan something for after your graduation." He waggled his eyebrows, "And maybe something before then, too!"

Sue snuggled close to him. His playful mood, along with his story about Darrin, had reassured her. "Sean?"

"Hmmm?" he murmured, brushing a kiss on her forehead.

"I already asked for time off so I can go to the homecoming game. I'll ask to take the whole weekend off. And," she said, stroking his chest, "I really like the idea of a post-graduation trip. And a pre-graduation trip."

"Perfect! And now that all that's settled…" He smiled and tipped her face up to his. A few moments later, he pressed his forehead to hers. "Is everything okay now?"

"What?" she asked dreamily. "Oh! Right! Yes! Everything is…perfect!"

"Good!" he responded. "Then let's go back to bed."

"I'll be there in a minute. I need to shut all this down first." She pulled back and gestured to her laptop.

"Fine," he sighed. He started to stand, but then paused. "I didn't mention it earlier, but I really like your shirt. Though it does look familiar!"

Sue giggled as she looked down at his Notre Dame shirt, which she had confiscated earlier and was currently wearing. "It's mine now! And…"

"And I'm never getting it back," he responded. "I know how it works. And it's okay, because it looks better on you anyway." He kissed her again. Then, "C'mon. Can't everything else wait?"

Sue shook her head. "I'll be there in minute!" She smiled as he headed back to her room. She picked up her laptop and typed a response to his email: _Sean, I am crazy in love with you and want to be with you always, too. I would love to attend homecoming weekend with you. Suzy Q._ After hitting "send," she turned off her computer and the lights, then followed him to her room.

Homecoming weekend ended up being a wonderful time for them both. Sean got to catch up with old friends, and Sue got to make new ones. Their first encounter with Darrin and his wife was a bit awkward, but there were no regrets. Sue had no doubt that Sean was the right person for her, and she could tell Darrin felt the same way about his wife. After the game ended, the two couples joined several other former classmates at a local bar. They chatted for a while, but eventually Sue pulled Sean aside for a private toast.

"To our future together," she said, raising her glass. "Together," he agreed, clinking his glass against hers.


	3. Chapter 3: Christmas Eve 2018

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** There are references in this chapter to things that happened in "Sue's Story Continues." It might be helpful to read that story first.

It was the first Saturday in December. Sue, who'd been asleep on the sofa in her apartment, was awakened by activity in the kitchen.

"Stop making so much noise! You're going to wake her up!" Dotty hissed.

"I'm not making all the noise! You are!" Shelly responded.

Sue sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Morning! What's going on?"

Shelly brought her a glass of juice. "We're fixing breakfast! Mom's danishes are warming in the oven, and Dotty's cutting up some fruit."

"That sounds wonderful! Thank you so much!"

"I'm making coffee, too. We figured you could use it. We know you were up late last night!" Dotty looked at her sister and both girls giggled.

The previous night, Sue had worked at St. George's Inn. Sean and his family had met there for supper at the restaurant. Afterwards, Nancy and Ron had returned to Orson, while Sean had taken his sisters to stay at Sue's place for the weekend. There'd been a bit of a snafu when Sue had realized she'd forgotten to bring the spare key for Sean to use, and she'd ended up having to loan him her key.

When she'd arrived home, she'd found Sean and his sisters playing board games and chatting. As tired as she'd been, she'd happily joined in. While the Hecks and Donahues had recently celebrated Thanksgiving together, Sue hadn't gotten to spend much quality time with Dotty and Shelly then. And since Sean had recently taken on several tutoring jobs, she'd been spending even less time with him than usual. The four of them had hung out for a couple hours, until the girls finally went to Sue's room for the night. Sean had stayed with Sue a while longer, but when Lexie arrived home from her waitressing job, he'd left for his apartment.

Sue had assumed Sean's sisters had slept through the rest of his visit, but based on their giggles and Dotty's remark, she realized they'd been very aware of his presence. Even though she and Sean hadn't done anything particularly "adult" (they'd been very aware of his sisters down the hall, after all), Sue still flushed with embarrassment.

"It's okay!" Dotty quickly reassured her. "We know nothing 'scandalous' was going on." She and Shelly giggled some more.

"Yeah. We promise not to tell Mom how late Sean was here." Shelly gave Sue a pointed look. "We also won't mention that Sean has clothes and stuff here."

Sue's jaw dropped. She thought she'd done a good job of hiding his belongings before she'd gone to work. "Well, that's just because, um, I like his shirts. They're super comfy. To sleep in. And wear. And so on and so forth…" Fortunately, the oven timer chimed, and the focus turned to breakfast.

After they ate, the trio browsed through booths at a nearby Christmas market. They were each able to find presents for several people on their Christmas lists, along with gifts to use for the Yankee swap at the Hecks' Christmas Eve party. Sue was especially captivated by one booth, where a local artist was selling glass pieces. When she couldn't decide which of two snowflake designs she liked more, she bought both.

At one point, Sue stopped to chat with a classmate while Dotty and Shelly moved on to the next row of booths. When she finally went to look for the girls, Shelly – who'd apparently been serving as lookout – hurried over.

"Dotty will be done in a minute. We can just wait here. There's not anything on that row you'd be interested in."

"Maybe not. But I'd like to check on her…" Sue took a step, but Shelly stopped her.

"No, really. She'll be here any second now."

"What are you two up to?"

"Ugh! Fine! You caught us. Dotty's buying Sean a Christmas present."

"Why is that a secret?"

Dotty, carrying an additional bag, joined them. "Sue knows you were buying Sean a Christmas present," Shelly explained. Dotty gave her sister a sharp look before nodding her agreement.

"What did you get him?"

"We're not telling!" Dotty replied. Sue smiled as it occurred to her that the purchase might actually be for her. But Dotty dispelled that notion. "Look, Sue. You and Sean used to have problems communicating with each other. But since you two started talking, you haven't stopped talking."

"You tell each other everything!" Shelly agreed.

"Every. Single. Thing." Dotty concurred. "So we're keeping this a secret."

"Fine!" Sue sighed. But as they walked away, she tried to sneak a peek down that row to see if she could guess which booth the girls had been at. When Shelly and Dotty realized what she was doing, they each took one of her arms and pulled her away.

By early afternoon, they were back at Sue's apartment, waiting on Sean to arrive. He'd spent the day juggling multiple tutoring gigs, but was coming to stay with his sisters while Sue went into work for a few hours. When he arrived, Shelly was so engrossed in a Netflix show that she barely noticed.

Sue motioned for Sean to follow her to her room. Once they had some privacy, Sean asked, "That show she's watching…isn't that one Mom doesn't approve of?" Sue nodded. "So, why…"

"She found some of your stuff here."

"Ah!" Sean said. "But Sue, we've been together more than 6 months. At this point, I'm pretty sure our parents are all aware that you and I sometimes stay at each other's apartments."

"Your mom is certainly aware. She warned me Shelly might try to find something of yours to use as leverage." Sean shook his head. Sue continued, "She's also aware that Shelly comes here to watch stuff that's banned at your house. Which is why she prepared this." Sue used her phone to forward Sean an email. "That email has a list of talking points and follow-up questions for the show she's watching, and a few others she might try to watch later." Sean pulled out his phone and opened the email. As he skimmed through it, Sue continued, "You're supposed to find a way to use all that organically in a conversation, so Shelly won't realize it's coming from your mom." Sue smirked. "Your mom wants to bust her once she gets home." They both laughed.

They returned to the living room, where Sue told the girls goodbye. This time she remembered to give Sean the spare key before she kissed him and left for work.

When Sue finished her shift, she met Sean and his sisters for a late supper and a Christmas lights display at a local park. They stopped at a concession stand, where Sean bought an enormous bag of caramel popcorn, one of his favorite treats. His sisters teased him, asking if he planned on eating the entire bag himself. When they finally got back to Sue's apartment, Sean and Sue divided the popcorn into several smaller bags. Dotty and Shelly took one of the bags and curled up on the sofa.

"Can't you stay for a while?" Sue asked Sean.

He hugged her. "I really wish I could. But I need to study, and I've got some prep work to do before my tutoring jobs tomorrow. I promise, I will be here in the morning for breakfast." He told his sisters goodbye, gave Sue a quick kiss, and left. Shelly went to take a shower, while Sue sat next to Dotty and took a handful of the popcorn. Just as she was about to take a bite, she and Dotty looked at each other.

"He forgot the popcorn!" they said simultaneously. Sue jumped up and ran to the door, intending to chase after Sean. But when she threw the door open, he was standing there.

"You forgot…"

"I forgot…" He handed her back the spare key and laughed. "I'm sorry! We always forget the key exchange!" Sue took the key and put it in its usual hiding spot. Sean kissed her again before waving to Dotty and leaving.

After the door closed, Dotty said, "He forgot the popcorn again."

"Argh!" Sue cried, then rushed to the door. Sean was halfway down the hall, but he turned when Sue called his name. As he approached, she said, "You forgot…" She was interrupted by Sean taking her hand and pulling her into the hallway with him, closing the door behind her. A few minutes later, she re-entered her apartment, a contented smile on her face.

Dotty didn't even look at her. "Popcorn!"

Sue groaned, then snatched up a couple of the bags and hurried after Sean. When she finally returned, with an even more contented smile, she sat next to Dotty.

"Did he get the popcorn this time?"

"Yes!" Sue laughed. Then, more seriously, "I'm really sorry about how chaotic things have been this weekend, with Sean and me being in and out, and the confusion with the key and the popcorn, and…"

"And Shelly's blackmail attempts!" Dotty reassured her, "Sue, it's okay. We know how busy you both are. We're just glad that we've been able to spend any time at all with you! And Sean!" She shook her head. "I don't know how he keeps up the pace that he does."

"I don't either," Sue sighed. "Truthfully, I'm worried about him. He was already so busy, and now that he's taking on all these tutoring jobs, I don't know how he's getting any sleep!"

"Isn't the tutoring thing only temporary? I thought he was just doing it to get some extra money for next semester and for Christmas presents."

Sue rolled her eyes. "Don't get me started! I told him he didn't need to spend a ton of money on presents, especially not for me, but he just did that thing he does, where he smiles and kisses me and it's not until later that I realize he didn't actually answer me!" Remembering that she was talking to Sean's sister, Sue apologized. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking to you about things like that."

"Are you kidding? I love that you talk to me like I'm your sister! And an adult!" She patted Sue's arm. "And it makes me happy to see the way you care about Sean. He's always spent so much time trying to take care of other people. I'm glad he's got you to look out for him!"

"We rescue each other," Sue murmured. When Dotty looked confused, Sue explained, "It's something he told me, before we started dating. He said that he and I rescue each other."

"Aww! So…what are you giving him?"

"I haven't got a clue!"

Shortly after Shelly rejoined them, Lexie returned home. The four of them settled in for an hour of popcorn and chit-chat.

On Christmas Eve, the Donahue and Heck families gathered for another Yankee swap party. Axl was home for a few days, so Lexie joined them. Before the swap started, Dotty and Shelly presented Sue and Sean with gifts.

"You have to open them at the same time!" Shelly pronounced. Sue and Sean smiled at each other before opening their packages and finding snow globes.

"There's one to make up for the one that was broken, and another one for this year," Dotty explained.

"It was my idea. Sue, I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time about returning that snow globe. If I had known…"

Sue jumped up and hugged her and then Dotty. "It's okay! I love these! Thank you!" Sean hugged his sisters, too. Sue said, "Wait! Are these what you were really buying at the Christmas market?" The girls giggled and nodded. Sue hugged them again.

Later, Sean and Sue sat on the picnic table in the backyard. "We should make an annual tradition out of meeting here," Sue suggested. "But if you ever apologize after kissing me again…"

"Won't happen," he assured her. He pulled a small package out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Sue held it for a moment. "Sean, whatever this is, I'm sure I'm going to love it, but…"

"But you'd rather have more time together instead. I know!" He brushed her hair from her face and kissed her. "I feel the same way! But when I saw this," he shrugged, "I wanted you to have it." She opened the box, stunned silent when she saw a beautiful ruby ring. "It reminded me of your grandmother's necklace that you always wear." Sue's eyes filled with tears and she threw her arms around him. After a moment, he pulled back and took the ring, sliding it onto her right ring finger.

"I really do love it!" She stared down at it, twisting her hand to see the way it sparkled in the light.

"I'm glad!" he replied, stroking her back. When she remained silent, he joked, "So, is that present beside you for me?"

"What? Oh, yes!" She handed it to him. "But I have to warn you, it's not a ruby ring!"

"That's a good thing!" Sean assured her. "I think a ruby ring would be too ostentatious when I'm doing rounds!" Sue made a face at him. He opened the package and discovered one of the snowflake art pieces Sue had bought at the Christmas market.

"It's a suncatcher," Sue explained.

"A suncatcher shaped like a snowflake! How appropriate! Although," he said, as he leaned close, "I've already caught my sunshine!" He brushed his lips over hers.

Sue whispered, "There's something else in the box."

Sean looked again, this time noticing an oddly-shaped bundle wrapped in tissue paper. He unwrapped it, discovering a key. "Your spare key?"

"No. **Your** key. So you can come and go, and stay, whenever you want."

" **We** want," he amended. He smiled as he stared down at it. Then, "Is Lexie okay with this?"

"Yes. She said it makes her feel safer to know you're around. Besides," Sue shrugged, "it's not like she can complain. Axl has a key." Sean smiled. Sue continued, "I thought this would make it easier, for us to spend as much time as possible together."

Sean nodded, then slid the key into his pocket. "Merry Christmas, Suzy Q!"

"Merry Christmas!" She curved her hand around his neck and leaned in for a kiss.

"Ugh! Gross! There's not enough spiked eggnog in the world to make this acceptable!" Axl declared.

Sean rested his forehead against Sue's. "What do you want, Axl?"

"It's time for church. Our moms will freak if you two are late."

Sean stood and picked up his present, handing it to Axl. "Take that inside for me, will you?"

"Fine. But I'm not coming back out here to warn you again!" Axl disappeared.

"Sue, I'm sorry," He grinned at Sue's outraged expression. "I'm sorry we were interrupted," he clarified. "I love my gift. Both my gifts! And I love you!"

"I love you, too!" They walked inside, hand-in-hand.


	4. Chapter 4: Sue's Birthday 2019

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** I'd gotten some requests for a birthday story, so this is what I came up with. Also, you may want to check out my Profile page where I'm listing which _The Middle_ episodes and "Sue's Story Continues" chapters are referenced in these chapters.

One evening in early January, Sue and Sean watched a movie at his apartment. As the credits rolled, Sean turned off the volume and said, "Sue, about your birthday…"

Sue - who'd been half asleep, her head on his shoulder – jerked awake. "What?! My birthday?! But my birthday's in February!"

Sean grinned. "I know when your birthday is. I was there for the last one. And for a few of the earlier ones, too!"

"But…but…this is January!"

Sean laughed. "I know that, too!"

"But, you don't understand. Most years, no one remembers my birthday even **on** my birthday! And you want to talk about it weeks early?!"

"Birthdays are a pretty big deal for the Donahues. And this is your first one since we've started dating. I want it to be really special!"

She slipped her hand into his. "It will be special, because we're together! Besides, I kinda feel like this," she held up her other hand, showing off the ruby ring she'd worn every day since he'd given it to her, "covers Christmas, Valentine's Day, my birthday, and Easter. For the next two years!"

"Nope!" He shook his head and then gave her a quick kiss. "It doesn't work that way. Your birthday **is** going to be a big deal this year. I have an idea…" Sue smiled eagerly. "Your birthday's on a Thursday…"

"Is it?" Sue pulled out her phone and checked the calendar. "It is!" Her eyes were huge as she looked at him. "You really do know when it is!" She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.

He laughed and stroked her hair. When she didn't let go, he said, "Sue? C'mon. I need to know if you're going to like my idea."

Sue finally looked up at him. "I know I'm going to love it! You are the sweetest, most thoughtful, most perfect boyfriend ever! Whatever it is, it's going to be amazing!" Touched, Sean stroked her cheek, then brushed kisses across her forehead, nose, and cheeks. Sue turned her head so their lips met.

A few minutes later, Sean cleared his throat. "What was I saying?"

"My birthday," Sue replied helpfully.

"Yes, right! So, I was thinking...how about we go somewhere together?"

"Like a restaurant?" Sue asked, confused.

"No! Well, yes, but I mean, how about we go on a trip together?" Sue's face lit up with a joyful smile. "We've been talking for months about going away together. Without my family," he quickly amended. "You're done with classes by 3:00 on Thursday, and just have one class on Friday mornings, right?" Sue nodded. "So if you can skip your Friday class, then we could leave on Thursday afternoon."

"And go where?" Sue asked excitedly.

"How about Chicago? We could get there in time for a late supper, spend Friday and Saturday being tourists, then come back here on Sunday."

Sue clapped her hands. "That sounds perfect! You know, I've always wanted a surprise party for my birthday, but I've got to say – a trip away with you is a million times better!" Then her face fell. "But, wait. What about your schedule? You've got classes on Thursday afternoons. And don't you work in the clinic most Fridays?"

"I've already talked to my professors. They said I can make up the work, no problem."

"You've already…" Sue shook her head. "You really are the sweetest, most thoughtful, most perfect boyfriend ever!" She tilted her head up, pressing her lips to his, but when he would have deepened the kiss, she pulled back. "Sean?"

"Hmm?" he asked, as he pulled her closer.

"I'm going to stay here tonight."

"Perfect," he responded.

A few days later, Sean stopped by to visit Sue, who was working at the inn. "Sue, about your birthday..."

After years of disappointing birthdays, Sue was prepared for the worst. She flashed a bright, fake smile, and said, "It's okay. If things aren't going to work out for us to go away that weekend, we can do it some other time…"

"No, no, no!" Sean interrupted. "We're definitely still going away for the weekend!"

"Oh, good!" Sue perked up. "But I do know how important med school is, and if you're having problems rearranging your schedule, I understand."

"Nope, no problems with my schedule for that weekend. I'll be able to make up my clinic time the Saturday before. And that's what I wanted to talk to you about." He shrugged, "I feel a little guilty, about taking you away from your family on your birthday. So maybe you should go to Orson that prior weekend and spend some time with them. I'll join you once I'm done at the clinic."

"Oh, that's a good idea! Although, really, my family doesn't pay much attention to birthdays."

"Well, do it for me, then. I'll enjoy our weekend in Chicago a lot more if I'm not worried your parents are going to suddenly show up and demand to spend time with you!"

"That would never happen!" Sue laughed.

It was the weekend before Sue's birthday. Since she'd had to work on Friday night, she'd planned to drive to Orson on Saturday morning. However, early that morning she received an urgent phone call asking her to come into work for a few hours. As she hurriedly got ready to leave, Sue sent texts to her mom and Sean telling them she wouldn't be able to head to Orson until after lunch.

After Sean finished his clinic rotation that afternoon, he turned on his phone and discovered a multitude of missed calls and texts. Going through them, he learned that Sue's half-day at work had turned into a whole day. She wasn't sure when or if she'd be able to make it to Orson that night. He drove over to the inn to check in with her.

"It's Jack," she explained. "He woke up with a migraine. He thought he'd be able to sleep it off and still make it to work this afternoon, but…" she shrugged. "Since he's covering for me next weekend, I owe him one. I've let my parents know I won't be there until late tonight. I don't think it's a big deal, though; my family really doesn't pay attention to birthdays. I hope you're not too disappointed, though!"

"So, umm," Sean rubbed his hand over his chin, "when will you be done with work?"

"6:00 or 7:00, maybe. It'll depend on how busy it gets. Do you want to go ahead to Orson? Or you can wait and drive with me."

"Yeah, yeah. That's a good idea. I've got to…I need to take care of some things. I'll meet you at your apartment later." He squeezed her hand, then headed out the front door.

Sue sighed, then pasted on a bright smile to greet a family that had just entered the lobby.

Shortly after 6:00, Sue texted Sean to let him know she was headed to her apartment. He joined her there as she was finishing packing her suitcase. She asked if he wanted to eat before they left, but he assured her that his mom would have supper waiting on him. Sue didn't expect her family to have anything waiting on her, but she didn't take time to grab anything; Sean seemed in too much of a hurry.

When they arrived at her house, Sean insisted on walking her in. When she opened the front door, she was greeted by a loud chorus of "Surprise!" Stunned, she saw her parents, Brick, the Donahues, Lexie, Brad, Carly, and several other friends and neighbors, all crowded into the living room. A "Happy birthday!" banner and streamers hung from the ceiling. She spotted a birthday cake, platters of food, and presents on the dining room table.

"What?! A surprise party! For me?!"

Sean shrugged. "You said you'd always wanted one!" Sue nodded, smiling tearfully. She gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before greeting the guests. Sean walked over to his mother - who'd provided most of the food and helped organize the party - and hugged her gratefully.

"It all worked out. I told you it would!" Nancy murmured as she patted his back.

The night passed in a blur of chatter and laughter. When Sue found out that Nancy had baked and decorated the cake, she thanked her profusely and hugged her for the dozenth time that night.

"This wasn't the first birthday cake I've made for you," Nancy reminded her.

It took a moment, but then the memory came flooding back. "Of course! I was about 8 or 9. I was upset because my parents had forgotten my birthday, but then you came by with a cake and a present for me. You made me feel so important then, just like you did tonight!" Sue hugged her again.

"You can thank Sean for that, too. He'd been over here that afternoon with Axl, and heard you crying. He came home and told me what had happened. I baked the cake, while Ron took him to the store and let him pick out your present."

Sue's eyes filled with tears. She hugged Nancy yet again, then walked over to where Sean was talking to Bill Norwood. "Please excuse us," she said to Bill, then took Sean's hand and led him into the hallway. When they were out of view of the others, she stopped and gave him a sweet kiss. "That was for always looking out for me, ever since we were kids. And this is for being the best boyfriend ever!" She stood on tiptoes, hooking an arm around his neck, and kissed him thoroughly.

A few minutes later, Mike passed them on his way to the bathroom. Shortly after that, he passed them again on his way back to the living room. He paused and said, "Okay, you two. There are children and your parents in the vicinity."

Sean lifted his head and said, "Sorry, Mr. Heck." Sue rested her forehead against Sean's chest and tried to stifle a giggle.

Later, the crowd clustered around the table as Frankie lit the candles on the cake. "I don't need any help with wishes," Sue said as her gaze locked on Sean, "because mine keep coming true!" To a chorus of "Awws," she blew out the candles.


	5. Chapter 5: Sue's Birthday Weekend 2019

**Note** : I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note** : I don't know when Sean's birthday is, so I'm saying it's in the spring. The events in this chapter overlap with the previous chapter, so you'll want to read it first. This chapter is long and heavy on the foreshadowing, but I hope you still enjoy it!

One afternoon in January, Sue and Brooke had a Skype session with Evan Ackerman, the CEO of Franklin Butterfield Hotels and Resorts. Sue had gotten to know him well since she'd started working at the inn. After giving feedback on a promotion Sue was developing, Evan said, "Sue, I'm very pleased with the work you've been doing. You've certainly proven that you were the right choice for our scholarship!" Sue beamed with pride and murmured her thanks. "I understand you're going to be visiting Chicago…"

"Yes!" Sue responded. "Sean and I will be there the first weekend in March. We're staying at your – I mean, **our** – downtown hotel."

Evan and Brooke exchanged a quick look; Brooke had sent his assistant Kayla the reservation info, so he already knew all about it. "I'll be in the office that Friday. I'd like for you to stop by for a tour and to meet some of our staff."

"Really?!" Sue breathed.

"Absolutely! Send Kayla your itinerary. She'll help work out the details. And let me know if you want recommendations for what to do while you're in town."

"I will! Thank you so much!"

Over the next few weeks, Sue and Sean planned their trip to Chicago. (Sean was also planning a surprise party for Sue, but that's another story.) Sue filled a binder with proposed activities and she contacted Kayla to set up a visit to company headquarters. She was ecstatic when she discovered that on the Saturday they'd be in the city, one of Sean's favorite bands would be performing there. Since Sean's birthday was a few weeks away, Sue bought tickets as a surprise, telling him only that she'd make their plans for that evening. Meanwhile, Sean contacted Hutch, who still lived in Chicago and who invited them to a mixer at his apartment that Friday night.

 **Hutch:** _Your sis and Sean are coming to a party at my place._

 **Axl:** _Stay away from my sister!_

 **Hutch:** _?_

 **Axl:** _She's dated 2 of my friends. That's enough! Stay away from her!_

 **Hutch:** _Dude. There's no way I'm going to date your sister. No way._

After a brief pause…

 **Axl:** _What's wrong with my sister?_

 **Hutch:** _Nothing's wrong. She's great. Real sweetheart. And cute. Adorable even._

 **Axl:** _STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!_

When Sue and Sean arrived at the hotel on Sue's birthday, they were both awed by the ornate lobby. "Wow!" Sue whispered. "I'm not sure we can afford this place, even with my employee discount!"

When they checked in, the front desk clerk alerted the night manager, Laura, that they had arrived. Laura immediately joined them. "Sue! Welcome! We're always happy to have a fellow Franklin Butterfield employee visit us!" Sue shook her hand, then introduced Sean.

Laura escorted them to their room. When Sean opened the door, he and Sue were shocked to realize their "room" was actually a luxurious suite. Sue said, "Um, this is gorgeous, amazingly gorgeous, but I thought I'd reserved a room…"

"Complimentary upgrade, at Evan's request." Sue and Sean exchanged surprised looks. "And speaking of changes to your plans, your reservation for tonight has been moved from our restaurant downstairs to the one on our rooftop. You'll love our view of downtown!"

"Really?!" Sue gasped. "I heard you have to reserve a table there like 6 months in advance!"

Laura smiled. "Not if you have a meeting with our CEO the next morning!" Sue and Sean laughed. "I'll leave you to settle in. Head up to the restaurant when you're ready. And please let me know if I can be of further assistance."

Once they were alone, Sue finally released the squeal of excitement she'd been holding in. "Aaaahhh! Isn't this place amazing!" Sean grinned and nodded. They spent a few moments exploring the suite before freshening up and heading to the restaurant.

They had a table by a window. As they waited on their entrees to arrive, Sue reached over and gripped Sean's hand. "Sean…" she started. He waited patiently while she struggled for words. Finally, "Sean, for so many years, I've wanted my birthday to be a big deal. This year…the surprise party, coming here…it's all been a dream come true! But the best part…the best part has been you. Everything you do, everything you are…you make me so happy! You make me feel like I matter, that what I want matters, and that I'm loved. So even if there hadn't been a party or a trip or presents, this still would have been the best birthday ever, because I spent it with you!"

Sean smiled tenderly and squeezed her hand. He started to speak, but the waiter arrived with their meals. After finishing dinner and dessert, Sue sighed happily and reiterated, "Best birthday ever!" She looked at Sean said, "Um, Sean, I meant everything I said about this birthday being the best because I spent it with you. But next year…"

"You're still going to want a party and presents?" Sean guessed.

Sue giggled. "And you! Always you!"

The next morning, as they prepped for their visit to the Franklin Butterfield offices, Sue was a bundle of nerves. She changed clothes several times, all the while rattling off trivia about the company and chattering about her hopes and fears about the meeting. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I should go over their list of locations again!"

As she rushed past Sean, he stopped her, pulling her close. "Suzy Q? Why are you so nervous? You've got all the company stats memorized. And you know Evan; you've even had supper with him. I've even had supper with him!" he exclaimed, referring to a dinner party Brooke had hosted for Evan when he'd recently visited Gumford.

"I know, it's just…usually when I talk to Evan, I see him as a mentor, and as the guy who was impressed I could Skype while a bat was swooping around my house!" Sean grinned. "But it's different here. He's the CEO, and we're going to see him **at corporate headquarters**!" Sue sighed. "Gumford and St. George's…they're nothing like this!" she proclaimed, as she motioned toward their elegant surroundings.

"Hey!" Sean said, as he stroked her back. "Don't underestimate yourself! They picked you to receive that scholarship. You've worked at a hotel for almost a year, and you've done a fantastic job – Evan's said so himself, many times. Right?" Sue nodded. "So what if St. George's is smaller, and less…fancy…than this place? Brooke runs it; she's one of Evan's protégés, and she treats you like her protégé. They see your value. So should you."

Sue blinked rapidly, then placed her hands on his cheeks. "I'm so glad you're here. You always make everything better!"

Kayla took them on a tour of the offices while Evan finished a meeting. Then, while Evan introduced Sue to some of the other staff, Kayla helped Sean settle into an empty conference room. He checked his email and did some studying. As time passed and Sue still hadn't returned, he started to grow impatient. But, he reminded himself, this visit could be important for Sue's career and their future. And he knew that in the years to come, Sue would spend plenty of time waiting on him. So he returned to studying.

When Sue and Evan returned, he offered to treat Sue and Sean to lunch at a nearby pizzeria. Over their meals, they talked about Chicago and the hotel business before Evan changed the topic. "So, Sean, what made you decide to go to St. Matthew's?" he asked.

Sean and Sue looked at each other and grinned. "I went to St. Matthew's to be near Sue…"

"But don't tell his mom!" Sue interjected. "She thinks he went there to be closer to be her!"

Evan smiled. "I'll keep your secret on one condition: neither of you tells my wife how often I eat here!" They all laughed, then talked about med school some more. Evan eventually asked, "So, I'm curious – is changing med schools as easy as switching universities?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. Most programs are pretty hard to get into. For example, I was on a wait list for St. Matthew's since I applied late." He shook his head and continued, "It was nerve-wracking for a few months there, waiting to hear if I'd finally get in. I second-guessed myself, wondering if I should go to one of the schools that had already accepted me." He looked at Sue and smiled. "But I knew going to St. Matthew's was the right choice for me, and the wait would be worth it." Sue beamed at him. "In any case, there'd be a lot of logistics involved in switching programs. It's not something I'd be eager to do!" Evan looked at him thoughtfully and nodded.

As they were finishing eating, Evan said, "Sue, do you have any plans for your spring break?"

"I don't think so, although I'm not sure exactly when it is." Sean started to speak up; he knew when her spring break was, because it coincided with his spring break as well as his birthday. But Sue continued, "I'll probably just study, and work as many hours at the inn as I can."

"Why don't you spend that week shadowing at our offices here? I'm sure we can arrange for you to get academic credit for it."

Sue's face lit up. "That would be amazing! Thank you so much!"

"And Sean, you should try to come visit her here. Gumford and Chicago aren't that far away."

Sean was already disappointed by the realization that he and Sue might be apart on his birthday. But with Evan's last remark, realization dawned: Sue was going to be offered a job in Chicago. His suspicion was confirmed as they were parting ways. Evan shook his hand and told him quietly, "Don't limit yourself. There are a lot of exceptional medical schools out there; some here in Chicago."

After Evan left them, Sue asked, "What was that about?" Sean gave her a quick kiss and didn't answer.

They spent the rest of the day sight-seeing, then went to Hutch's apartment for the party. Sue quickly found a kindred spirit in one of Hutch's neighbors. Sean watched from across the room as the two chatted. Still distracted by thoughts of the future, he didn't notice Hutch approach.

"Don't worry. She's not his type."

"What?"

Hutch nodded at his neighbor. "Chris. She's not his type."

"Oh, yeah. We talked to him earlier. I think she's trying to set him up with her friend Brad. He's single now, and he's thinking about moving here after graduation." Sean glanced around at Hutch's apartment. He could easily picture Sue and Brad as roommates in a Chicago apartment like Hutch's.

"So, if you're not jealous, why are you over here by yourself? That's not like you."

Sean sighed. "They're going to ask Sue to move here after she graduates."

"Are you sure? Have they made her an official offer?"

"No, not yet. But they've been giving us all kinds of perks. The CEO took part of the day off to introduce her around and to take us out to lunch. He's asked her to spend spring break interning here. And he hinted that I should consider switching to a med school here in Chicago."

"So you'd be close to her," Hutch realized. "Yeah, I think you're right. What does Sue say?"

"I don't think she's figured it out yet. And I don't want to mention it to her, until I can be supportive, like she deserves." Hutch looked confused, so Sean explained, "I'm really proud of her. She deserves a great job and to be happy and successful! But, I've got several years more of med school and residency, and if I'm in Indiana and she's here…"

"You made the long-distance thing work last summer," Hutch pointed out.

"Yeah, but that was for a few months, not years." Sean shook his head. "I know I'm being selfish. That's why I don't want to talk to her about it yet. I mean, this afternoon, she kept bringing up the spring break internship, and I kept changing the subject. She hasn't realized yet that my birthday is that week. I'm afraid that if she realizes it, she might pass on the internship. But I'm also afraid that she wouldn't pass on it." He rubbed his forehead. "I'm a terrible boyfriend. This should be about her, not me."

Hutch looked at him for several moments before responding. "Dude, you really are in love with her." Sean shrugged and nodded. Then he pasted on a bright smile as he saw Sue and Chris approaching.

"Guess what!" Sue exclaimed. "Chris is going to be at…the same place we are tomorrow night!"

"We should totally meet up for supper first!" Chris proclaimed.

"Hmm," Sean said. "So that means the surprise tomorrow night isn't supper…"

"Don't even try it," Sue giggled. "I'm not telling you the secret. And Chris isn't either!" Chris shook his head emphatically.

For the rest of the night, Sean adopted his usual cheerful, friendly manner. On their way back to the hotel, Sue once again brought up the internship. Sean distracted them both by fishing for details about his surprise. Sue pointed out that he'd thrown her a surprise party and she was just returning the favor.

As they entered their suite, Sean was still asking questions. Sue closed and locked the door before draping her arms around his neck. "Sean? Do you really want to keep asking about this? Because," she smiled coyly, "there are other things we could be doing."

He pulled her close. "Point taken."

The next day they fit in as much sight-seeing as possible before meeting Chris and some of his friends. During supper, one of those friends let it slip about the concert. Sean was so excited he kissed Sue full-on in the middle of the restaurant. Chris and the others laughed and averted their eyes.

As they drove home the next day, they talked over how much fun they'd had. They were interrupted by a text from Brooke, asking Sue how things had gone.

"I have to tell her about the shadowing opportunity!" Sue exclaimed. "I need to check the dates for spring break so I can ask for those days off." She started to open the university schedule on her phone, but Sean reached over to stop her.

"You can do that later." Sue gave him an incredulous look. "Oh, c'mon!" he exclaimed. "Do you really think she doesn't already know all about it?!"

"You're probably right," Sue conceded. She gave him a wary look. "Sean, are you okay with this? Every time I try to talk about Evan's offer, you change the subject."

"It's an amazing opportunity for you, Sue! No doubt about that! I just…I think…" Sue raised an eyebrow and stared at him. Inspiration struck Sean. "I think you should start by asking your advisor if she can help you get some sort of academic credit for it. Then you should talk to Kayla and find out the specifics, like where would you stay? Would you get paid? All of those things are very important."

"You are so right!" Sue exclaimed. "I'm going to email my advisor right now and see what she says." As she started typing her email, Sean gave a relieved sigh. He hoped Sue would make her decision based on practicalities, without his birthday playing any role.

Later that night, Sue's advisor emailed her some questions and forms to send Kayla. As she was typing that email, she finally checked the dates for spring break. "Oh, no! Oh, no, oh no!" she cried. She called Sean, but when he answered she was too upset to speak.

"Sue? Are you okay? Do I need to come over? I'm coming over right now!"

"You knew, didn't you?" When Sean didn't respond, Sue said, "You did know! You knew going to Chicago for spring break means I'll miss your birthday!"

"Sue, this is an incredible opportunity for you. If it's something you want to do, that will help you with your career, then you should do it. We'll have other birthdays together."

"But that's not fair!" Sue cried. "You did so much for my birthday. How could I not be there for yours?!"

"And it's not fair for me to ask you to pass up an opportunity like this!" He sighed. "Look, why don't you figure out all of the logistics for going. And while you're doing that, I'll see if I can join you in Chicago for part of that week. How does that sound?"

It took Sue a moment before she was able to respond. "You really are the best boyfriend ever! I love you, Sean."

"I love you, too, Suzy Q. We'll work this out. You'll see." They both hoped he was right.


	6. Chapter 6: Thanksgiving 2018

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

On a lazy Saturday afternoon at the Heck house, Mike was watching a college football game. He'd cranked up the volume to try to drown out Frankie talking to her mom on the phone.

"Great news!" Frankie exclaimed. She blocked Mike's view of the tv, so he shifted so he could see around her.

"Did you hear me? I have great news!"

"It can't be as good as this game."

"It's even better!" In an exasperated tone, "Mike!" He raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "My parents are going to Janet's for Thanksgiving!"

" _Nope,"_ Mike thought, _"definitely not better than this game."_ His attention returned to the tv.

"Mike! Do you know what this means?"

"Uh…we're going to Janet's house, too?" he guessed.

"No! We're going to have Thanksgiving with the Donahues!"

"We are? Have they invited us?" Mike was pretty sure he would have remembered any invitation that involved Nancy's cooking.

"Not yet! But I've been laying the groundwork for ages!" Frankie rubbed her hands together. "After that Thanksgiving when we had problems with April, I told Nancy all about how the 'girl parents' have all the control. A few weeks ago, I casually brought that up again." Mike looked at her incredulously, not believing for a second that she'd been casual about it. Frankie ignored him and continued, "I keep reinforcing it by telling her horror stories about some of Axl's girlfriends. And - so she could experience it for herself - I made sure Sean spent most of his time here during fall break!"

Mike stared at her for a moment. "Why?"

"Because! This way, she'll see how lucky she is to have Sue and us! I'll suggest that instead of Sean celebrating Thanksgiving with our family, that she host all of us. I'm sure she'll appreciate how considerate I'm being!"

Mike blinked several times. "So, if this…plan…works out, Nancy will cook Thanksgiving dinner?"

"Yes!"

"That is great news."

He went back to the game. Frankie peered out the window at the Donahue house. Since her parents were taken care of for Thanksgiving, she could put the next step of her plan into motion. Now all she had to do was "accidentally" run into Nancy.

When Ron returned home from running errands later that day, he saw Frankie returning to her house. Nancy stood on the front stoop and waited for him to join her.

As they walked inside, she said, "We're hosting the Hecks for Thanksgiving."

"Ah!" Ron smiled. "Frankie was here fishing for an invitation, I take it."

"Yes. I knew that's what all this 'girl parent'/'boy parent' talk was about." She shrugged. "But I played clueless, of course. Frankie so enjoys her schemes; I'd hate for her to know how transparent she is!"

Ron laughed. "You're a good friend! And," he said pointedly, "you're pretty transparent, too. You've been wanting to have Sean and Sue at home with us!"

"Well, I'll have to start cooking days in advance, and I'll need them both to help. Between the prep work before, and the clean-up after," she smirked, "they'll have to stay here the entire holiday!" They grinned at each other.

Over supper, Sue and Sean discussed the texts they'd gotten from their moms about Thanksgiving.

Sean asked, "So, who do you think was less subtle about their true intentions? Your mom or mine?"

"Mine. Without a doubt! But I support her 100%. Any plan that results in your mom cooking is an awesome plan!"

Sean smiled. "Well, my mom is happy, too, since she'll get to hog all our time over the holiday. I could tell she was annoyed that we spent most of fall break at your house."

Sue pointed a fry at him. "That was totally your fault. I told you not to give in when my mom asked us to go through all those boxes. They'd been packed for years; they could have waited a few more!"

"I can't help it!" Sean exclaimed. "I like helping people out! Especially when those people are your parents!" He leaned closer. "I'll never be able to thank them enough for you."

"Awww! That's so sweet!" Sue sighed, before snapping, "But you still should've said 'No!'" Sean laughed and shook his head. Sue's gaze warmed as she said, "Although, to be fair, we would have finished that project a lot sooner if we hadn't kept getting…distracted." Sean gave her a knowing smile.

They were interrupted by Sean receiving a text.

"My mom wants to know if she should invite Lexie and her parents, too. Your mom said Axl will definitely be there, but she didn't know about the Brookses."

"I have no idea. I hardly talk to Lexie anymore. We're both so busy it seems like we're only at the apartment at the same when we're asleep!"

"Can you check with her? Your mom has been texting Axl, but he's not answering."

"Well, there's a shocker!" Sue grimaced. "He rarely answers my emails or texts, either. I haven't seen him since he left in May, and I really do miss him."

"He texts me occasionally." He shrugged. "Mostly warning me to behave around you!"

Sue rolled her eyes. "That's something, I guess. The only reason we know he's coming for Thanksgiving is because Mom made him swear that he would, back in August when she and Dad went to visit him." She shook her head. "I'll talk to Lexie."

The next morning, Sean was eating breakfast when he heard someone banging on his apartment door. When he opened it, Sue threw herself into his arms. With her voice muffled against his chest, she said, "Oh, Sean. It's so awful."

Concerned, he pulled her further inside and closed the door. "What is it?"

She tipped her head back to look at him. "Axl's not coming home for Thanksgiving!" Tears filled her eyes. "My mom is going to be so upset! She's been counting down the days until she'd see him again!"

Sean led her over to the sofa and sat beside her. He stroked her hair and waited for her to calm down. Finally he asked, "So what changed?"

"Lexie's parents offered to treat them to an all-expenses paid trip to New York City. And Axl accepted…"

"But didn't tell your family. Geez!" Sean winced. "What else did Lexie say?"

"That they'd made these plans weeks ago, and she thought he'd already told us!" Sue jumped up and started to pace. "I mean, I get wanting to accept a free trip to New York. I'd love to go back, when there's not a blizzard!" Sean smiled, remembering the stories he'd heard about the Hecks' disastrous trip to NYC several years earlier. "But Sean, this is Thanksgiving! And it's been almost 6 months since I've seen him! Almost 3 months since my parents have seen him! He can go to New York any time!" Her face crumpled. "Why doesn't he want to see us?"

Sean stood and hugged her close. "Can you talk to Lexie…tell her how disappointed you are?"

"I would have…but…I can't. She's, um, she's hoping," Sue paused awkwardly. "It's kind of a secret, okay?" Sean nodded and pretended to zip his lips. Sue smiled half-heartedly. "They've been talking about her moving to Denver after graduation, but not about specifics like marriage or even living together. She's hoping that while they're in New York..."

"Do you think he's ready for that conversation?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe? I mean, I didn't think he'd elope with April, but he did! He and Lexie love each other, but they've been doing the long-distance thing for months." She gave a frustrated hiss. "And I couldn't very well complain to her after she told me that!"

They discussed possible scenarios: if Axl went to NYC or Indiana, if he proposed or didn't. They agreed that Axl – not Sue – should be the one to tell their parents about his change in plans. Sue couldn't decide if she wanted to confront Axl. Sean offered to speak to him, but Sue refused.

"No. Thank you, but no. This is complicated enough, with me in the middle between my family and my best friend. I don't want problems between you and Axl, too. Besides, if anyone gets to yell at my brother, it'll be me! Or my parents! Or all of us!" She nodded emphatically. "He deserves that!"

Over the next few hours, Lexie spoke to Axl, who finally texted his parents the news. Nancy, who'd been updated by Sean, stopped by the Heck house. She found Frankie still in her pajamas, camped out on the sofa and eating out of a can of frosting. Frankie looked at her through red-rimmed eyes. "I told you being the 'boy mom' is the worst!" Nancy hugged her.

Sue spent most of the day at work. She sent Axl multiple texts and tried to call him during her lunch break, but he didn't respond. By the time she returned to Sean's that night, she was beyond frustrated.

"Remember how I said I didn't want you involved?" Sue asked. Sean nodded his head. He didn't tell her that he'd been so worried about her that he'd come close to breaking that promise several times. "I've changed my mind. He's not answering my calls or texts…"

Sean pulled out his phone. "Call or FaceTime?"

"FaceTime. You dial, I talk."

When Axl appeared on the screen, he immediately complained, "Dude, tell your girlfriend to stop nagging me."

"Hi Axl. Bye Axl." Sean handed his phone to Sue, then went into his bedroom to give them some privacy. As he put away clean laundry, he overheard snippets of Sue's side of the conversation.

"You can go to New York any time! You don't need to miss Thanksgiving! … Really? Really? You expect me to believe that you're dying to see the parade in person? You won't even watch it with me on tv! ... No, this is totally different than me going on vacation with Sean's family! For one thing, we're leaving **after** Christmas, so I won't miss spending the holiday with our family. And for another, I talk to Mom and Dad all the time! And I was just home for fall break! You haven't been home in months! ... No, don't blame this on Mom's 'girl parent' theory. This isn't about Lexie's family, it's about you being a jerk!"

Hearing tears in Sue's voice, Sean dropped the shirt he was holding and hurried back into the living room. He saw Sue straighten her shoulders as she responded, "You know what Axl? I love you. I miss you. It's been 6 months since I've seen you! Mom, Dad, Brick, and me – we've all been so excited that you were coming home! But this is your choice. If you want to pass on seeing your family for the first time in months, then that's on you. But if I were you, I'd start making plans to come to Orson sometime soon. Mom and Dad deserve at least that much."

Sue disconnected and turned to see Sean watching her. He applauded. She wilted. He rushed over and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Why? You were standing up for yourself and your family. I'm proud of you!"

"Yeah, but I put you in the middle of it when I said I wouldn't. And you heard me yell!"

Sean shrugged. "It's Axl. Sometimes he needs to be yelled at."

Sue groaned. "And the worst part is…I don't know if that even helped. I may have made things worse!" Sean stroked her back. He had no idea how Axl would respond, but he was sure Axl had needed to hear those things.

A little while later, Sue received a text.

 **Axl:** _See you in a few weeks._

Sue blinked rapidly, unsure if he meant what she thought he meant. When her mom called a few seconds later, Sue knew he did. She gave Sean a blinding smile as she answered the call and listened while her mom screamed with joy. Sean smiled back.

Axl returned to Orson for Thanksgiving. Nancy knew how excited Sue and Sean were to see Axl, so didn't monopolize as much of their time as she'd planned.

When Ron teased her about "allowing" Sue and Sean to hang out with Axl instead of helping with meal prep, Nancy explained, "We've still got Christmas. And our post-Christmas vacation." Ron smiled and patted her shoulder.

The first time Axl and Sean were alone, Axl growled, "I'm never answering a call from you again."

"Sure you will," Sean said easily. "You may not always want to talk to Sue, but you do always want to know how I'm treating her." Axl grimaced but didn't deny it.

Lexie and her parents, who'd postponed the NYC trip until spring so Axl could go too, joined them for the meal. Lexie pulled Sue aside to tell her that while Axl hadn't proposed, he had mentioned a condo building he wanted them to move into after they got "hitched." They squealed and hugged.

Later, Sean noticed Sue standing off to the side. He walked over and pulled her back against his chest. They stood quietly for a moment, watching their families and the Brookses interact. They overheard Lexie's mom apologizing to Frankie.

"Frankie, I am so sorry. If we'd realized Axl hadn't been home since May, we would never have asked him to spend the holiday in New York!"

As the two women hugged, Sean whispered in Sue's ear, "I think your mom's 'girl parent' theory is officially toast."

"What? Oh, yeah." She sighed. "I wish Brad were here." Puzzled, Sean tilted his head so he could see her face. Sue looked up at him. "It's just…I have so much to be thankful for! All of the people I love most in the world are here in this room…"

"Except Brad," Sean finished. "We'll invite him next year."

"Next year," Sue agreed, then turned to kiss him.


	7. Chapter 7: Halloween 2018

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** I had a request for a Halloween story; I hope this will suffice. And I apologize in advance if this story changes how you view a particular Halloween costume. :) As always, thanks to everyone who reads my stories and especially those who leave feedback.

 **Sue:** _Need to see you ASAP. My place._

As soon as Brad knocked on Sue's front door, she immediately threw it open, then grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

"I need help!"

"Uh, yeah. I got the text. That's why I'm here. What's wrong?"

"This! This is what's wrong!" She motioned toward a mound of glossy fabric piled on the sofa.

"What is that?" Brad made a face. "Some sort of reusable trash bag?"

"No!" Sue rushed over and grabbed it, holding it up in front of her. "It's supposed to be my Halloween costume!"

Brad tipped his head to the side and surveyed it. "Is that supposed to look like an Operation board game? And why is it so big? And so…shiny?"

"Yes! It's supposed to be an Operation board!" Sue sighed. "The Donahues are helping to organize the Orson Fall Festival…"

"Of course," Brad nodded.

"All proceeds go to the food bank…"

"Also, of course."

"And they asked Sean and me to volunteer…"

"No surprises so far."

"And they decided we should all have themed costumes…"

Brad held his hands out and exclaimed, "You were so meant to be part of that family! But how does that explain, well…" he grimaced and pointed at the costume, "that!"

"Our theme is board games. So Nancy and Ron are going to wear jigsaw pieces that interlock…"

"So cute!" Brad mouthed.

"And the girls are dressing up like the princesses from Candy Land…"

"Adorable!" Brad sighed.

"So Nancy suggested that I dress up like the Operation game, and Sean will wear scrubs..."

"A great idea, in theory. But in execution…" he shrugged.

"I know! I know! I ordered it online. It looked so much cuter on the website! And," she winced, "I didn't realize when it said 'one size fits all' it meant that one size fits everyone in the county, at the same time!"

Brad coughed to cover a laugh, then said seriously, "Well, there's still a couple weeks before the festival. We can still fix this. So long as no one else has seen that." He looked at her worriedly. "You haven't shown it to anyone else, have you?"

"Like who? Like Sean? No way! This is just...so ugly!"

"All right! Stop moping! Let's get to work!"

They sat at the table and used Sue's laptop to scroll through search results for Operation costumes. Sue grew increasingly frustrated.

"A lot of these look like that!" she pointed at her rejected costume. "And the rest of them are too sexy!"

"Don't you want to look sexy?" Brad teased, "Don't you want to play doctor with Sean?"

"Brad!" Sue blushed. "We'll be with his parents! I don't want them to think…"

"Oh, honey, they already know. Everyone does! Sean looks at you the way my dad looks at a platter of hot wings on Super Bowl Sunday!"

Sue giggled, then quickly changed the subject. "Okay, I think I've got it narrowed down to two options. They're both DIY and super cute!" After studying both costumes, they came up with a compromise. "Okay, so we're agreed: fitted white shirt, white leggings, red mini skirt, and we'll make the game pieces and pin them on."

"And maybe later 'someone' will have fun unpinning them!"

Sue rolled her eyes.

The afternoon of the festival finally arrived. Frankie and Mike had also been roped into volunteering and into wearing themed costumes. Frankie was wearing a dress that looked like a Twister board, while Mike had finally conceded and donned a sweatshirt with an image of the Indiana Avenue card from Monopoly.

Sue and Sean helped with a ring toss carnival game. During a break, Sean led Sue to a secluded area and looked her over. "Have I mentioned lately how much I like this costume?" Tracing his finger over the heart icon, he asked meaningfully, "Will I get to remove these later?" Remembering Brad's words from a couple weeks earlier, Sue started to laugh. Sean pulled back in confusion, "What's funny? Oh," he worried, "was that too cheesy?"

"No, no!" Sue stifled another laugh. "It's just…I'm really glad you like to do stuff like this. The costumes and all," she explained. "I think it's fun, and I'm glad I can share that with you!"

"You can share everything with me, Suzy Q!" he affirmed, before drawing her close. Sue yelped as one of the pins stuck her.

"Stupid pins," she muttered, as she pulled back and adjusted some of them.

"Yep," Sean said. "I am definitely going to enjoy removing those later!" He leaned down to kiss her, this time making sure he only touched her face.

A couple hours later, Sean's sisters stopped by the booth. "Mom is going to find someone to take over the booth for you," Shelly said. "I want us to go on a hayride together!" Then she and Dottie went to play games at a nearby booth.

"A hayride, wow!" Sue reminisced, "I had my first kiss on a Halloween hayride." Sean whipped around to look at her in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that!" Sean shrugged and then went to collect rings to hand to guests. When he returned to Sue's side, she continued, "I really shouldn't have said that! I wasn't thinking." When Sean remained silent, she asked, "Would it make you feel better if you told me about your first kiss?"

"Absolutely not!" he adamantly declared. Sue, worried, bit her lip. But after a moment, Sean placed a hand on her lower back, then a kiss on her forehead. He whispered in her ear, "I suspect that the hayride tonight will make you forget about any that came before." As he walked over to collect tokens and hand rings to a couple of teenagers, Sue smiled dreamily.

They didn't get a chance to take the hayride until the end of the evening. While the rest of the passengers marveled over an elaborate light display, Sean did give Sue a kiss that far eclipsed the one from years before. When it was time for the Hecks to head home, Sean walked Sue to her parents' car. Frankie and Mike stood nearby, talking to Bill Norwood and his girlfriend.

Sean said quietly, "I have to admit…I'm disappointed." Sue looked up at him in confusion. He again stroked the heart icon and said, "I just realized, I won't get to unpin these tonight after all."

Sue placed her hand over his. "Why don't you go ahead and take that one now." Sean smiled, then unpinned the heart. Sue took it from him and pinned it to his shirt. With her hand resting on his chest, she said, "You're taking my heart with you now. I'll wear this again on Halloween. You can take off all the rest then." Their eyes locked for a long, charged moment, then they moved closer for a kiss. Yet again, Sue yelped. "Stupid pins!" she gasped.

They both laughed. Seeing Frankie and Mike approaching, Sean opened the car door for Sue. He kissed her hand, then watched her climb inside. He leaned down so they could exchange a sweet kiss before he closed the door. He waved goodbye to Frankie and Mike, then went to help with cleanup.

As they drove him, Mike looked at Sue in the rear view mirror. "I think you're missing a piece," he remarked wryly.

"It's not missing," Sue corrected. "It's exactly where it belongs."


End file.
